Little 5 Points is arguably the Atlanta neighborhood with the most character. On any given day, locals and tourists alike can hear live music flooding the streets, shop for handmade and vintage goods and grab a beer with friends. For part II of the neighborhood guide series, we want to highlight the diverse array of businesses that most embody the spirit of this eclectic district.

Wax n’ Facts

Different businesses come and go, but there are a few of us that have been around a really long time.

Wax n’ Facts is one of two record stores in Little Five Points. Where Criminal Records brims with colors and sells everything from records to comic books, Wax n’ Facts appears less commercial, filled with wooden crates of new and used records, CDs, tapes and DVDs. Posters of artists, including everyone from Jimi Hendrix to The Notorious B.I.G., line the walls, and under the tables of crates lay more posters and stacks upon stacks of records.

According to Retail Manager Sean Bourne, Wax n’ Facts has been selling music in the community for 37 years, well before many of the stores and boutiques became a part of the trendy community.

“Different businesses come and go, but there are a few of us that have been around a really long time.”

Over the years, the store has expanded, taking over a bar and motorcycle repair store. Occasionally, bands plug in their instruments and play live music in the aisles as customers shop.

Bourne said celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and Lauryn Hill have shopped at Wax n’ Facts. Nowadays they ask their high-profile clients to post about their experience on social media to drive traffic to the store.

Young Guru, an audio engineer and producer who has worked on a majority of rapper Jay Z’s albums, recently visited the store and gave a shout out on social media.

“In atl @waxnfacts. I just destroyed the 45 section!!!!! They have great stuff for 25 cents,” he captioned an Instagram post that featured a picture of the store and received over 700 likes.

Bourne said their cheap prices and music knowledge is what has kept people coming back to Wax n’ Facts, even as the music industry evolves.

Go for: Cheap but quality used records and a unique, laid-back vibe

Visit their site at http://www.waxnfacts.com/

Variety Playhouse

I think one thing that’s a plus for Little Five Points is that it’s a walking neighborhood. So you can come here, you can drop your car for the night, get a meal before the show, come see a show, go get some drinks afterwards, or food afterwards, and do all of that in a neighborhood.

Steven Harris, owner of Variety Playhouse, said some of Wax n’ Facts’ musician clients learn about the store while in the area for a show at Variety Playhouse. Even when they’ve outgrown the venue, they still come back to the community.

Musicians from every genre play at the venue, which sells general admission tickets and offers both standing and seating options on a first-come, first-served basis.

Harris said Variety Playhouse has been the community’s music venue for nearly 24 years. Before then, it was a movie theater, a church, an art house and a place where toxic chemicals were stored. He took over the venue in 1990 and says his experience as a show promoter gave him a better understanding of the market than than the previous owner.

He said the small community benefits from the fact that everything is within walking distance.

“I think one thing that’s a plus for Little Five Points is that it’s a walking neighborhood. So you can come here, you can drop your car for the night, get a meal before the show, come see a show, go get some drinks afterwards, or food afterwards, and do all of that in a neighborhood. And in Atlanta there’s only a couple of neighborhoods where you can do that these days.”

Go for: New, local music and the theatrical atmosphere

Visit their site at http://www.variety-playhouse.com/

Little 5 Soul

When you walk in, there’s a certain vibe to it, and the music is always good.

Little 5 Soul doesn’t stand out from the other businesses on Euclid. But the music playing on the inside filters into the street, and that, explains manager Dave Soul, is what draws customers in.

“When you walk in, there’s a certain vibe to it, and the music is always good.”

This is what initially drew Dave to the store, which was originally located across the street at an open-market bazaar. He said that the original location reminded him of a cross between Magazine Street and the French market in New Orleans, his hometown.

Eventually, Dave became more than a customer, and enjoys his job helping people find the music they’re looking for.

“Our niche has been to offer the public things that you don’t really find at Best Buy or Target, and different stuff that you don’t find on mainstream radio.”

The store carries a variety of genres, including R&B, jazz, broken beats, house and rap. They also offer t-shirts, locally designed jewelry, sunglasses and beverages.

Dave explained the importance of the store to promote a niche market that caters its customers, unlike department stores.

“It’s the pop and pop shops that maintain that personal touch—that interaction with the people, and a lot of the department stores don’t have that.”

Go for: occasional live performances (Algebra Blessett last month, for example), Record Store Day events, a cozy and lush environment perfect for a midday chill.

Sacred Heart

There is never a dull moment in this neighborhood.

Although it’s the oldest running tattoo shop in Atlanta, Sacred Heart is only easy to find if you know what you’re looking for. A banner sign stating the word “Tattoo” is Sacred Heart’s only marker from the street, but once you enter the brick building and find your way up its stairs, you’ll be greeted at the door by the buzz of tattoo needles and cadence of hip hop beats.

Manager and artist Loki Shane has been tattooing for 16 years, in his own hometown of Little 5 Points at Sacred Heart. He first got interested in the industry while getting his first tattoo.

“The minute the girl started on my skin, I knew this is what I was going to do for the rest of my life.”

Shane has been an artist since childhood, painting and drawing in his sketchbooks. He described his work as mostly large-scale, vibrantly colored tattoos.

Shane’s favorite work to do comes in the form of cover-up pieces, which he said gives people a second chance.

“It gives people new life. When you have a lot of bad tattoos, people regret, because of bad memories or bad things connected to them, or they we’re horribly done so they’re embarrassed to show them. To be able to give someone a new piece of art that they’re going to enjoy showing off, make them happy about showing they’re body again—it means a lot.”

Working at a shop that has been around for 20 years has given Shane the chance to watch the local businesses grow and evolve. He calls Atlanta home, and explained that the unique neighborhood takes care of its own.

“There is never a dull moment in this neighborhood.”

Go for: Engaging conversation with talented artists

Visit their website at http://www.sacredhearttattoo.com/

Elmyr

It’s a really fun bar you can go to and party and you know you’re going to see somebody you’re friends with here for sure.

According to co-owner/manager/”fix-it dude” Jim Shelly, Elmyr (pronounced El-meer) is both a party bar and a restaurant.

Elmyr started as one of his favorite local bars, then became his workplace. Since he began, he’s worked aside some of Altanta’s prominent artists and musicians. Shelly explained how that’s part of Elmyr’s goal to support local creative people.

“Bill from Mastadon worked here for years when he first moved to Atlanta.”

Shelly said Elmyr is also the hangout of bands like the Coathangers, who will be premiering their new music video at Elmyr on March 5.

“It’s a really fun bar you can go to and party and you know you’re going to see somebody you’re friends with here for sure.”

The Latin inspired cuisine is prepared fresh every day, and things on the menu have stayed relatively the same, with the exception of everyday specials.

Go for: Pulled pork, cheap beer, and one of the most local bars in the city

Visit their website at http://elmyr.com/

Savage Pizza

It just kind of took on a life of its own after that.

What was first inspired by Southern Californian pizza boutiques is now a restaurant staple in Little 5 Points.

Savage originally opened its doors in 1990 at a Virginia Highlands loca- tion. Co-owner Field Cox said the move came because Little 5 garnered more buzz and foot traffic.

“There is a lot of neighborhood stuff around here: Inman Park, Candler Park—all the people living in those neighborhoods are a great draw.”

Cox said that one of the most impor- tant roles he plays at Savage is to draw customers in and keep them coming back.
“You have to treat people well and take an interest in them personally.”

Savage–with its brightly decorated walls and comic book references–has a very personal atmosphere and welcoming service. The wall art started with

Cox’s partner Myron’s paintings that originally hung in a new wave club in the late 70’s.

“It just kind of took on a life of its own after that,” Cox said of the decor.

Go for: Greek pizza, outdoor patio, the coolest bathrooms in the city

Visit their website at http://savagepizza.com/

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Neighborhood Guide Photo Gallery

Photos by: Candra Umunna
Layout and design by: Anna N. Yang
Contributing staff: Johnny Gipson, Mike Eden

This is the second installment of a four part series. For the previous installment, click below:

• https://georgiastatesignal.com/highlands/

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